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Last month, we saw share of both Internet Explorer 8 and 9 grow, and we’re pleased to see that momentum continue in February with the availability of the IE9 Release Candidate. Since its release on February 10th, the IE9 RC has already been downloaded over 11 million times. Together with the IE9 Beta, IE9 has been downloaded over 36 million times since its initial availability on September 15, 2010. As of February, IE9 has now surpassed total combined downloads of IE8 Beta and IE8 RC, and Net Applications reports that IE9 now represents 0.66% of all worldwide browser usage share on Windows with 2.09% usage share on Windows 7.
Net Applications also reported this month that Internet Explorer share increased by 0.86% across Windows. Across all operating systems, IE share also grew 0.78%. In some part, this is due to the geographic weighting change according to Net Applications. However, when adjusted using the older weighting, IE8 and 9 actually show even stronger growth on Windows: up 1.31% (versus 1.13% using the new February weighting) – or over three times Chrome’s 0.42% growth. We continue to measure our share progress relative to our addressable base, and in this case our addressable base is Windows.
As always, we are excited by the warm reception IE9 has received through the Beta and RC stages, and we look forward to the full product release in the near future.
Thanks,
Roger Capriotti Director, Internet Explorer Product Marketing
While the improvements over previous iterations of IE are commendable, you're growth stat's don't count since IE is the only major browser that runs on only one platform. If you applied the studies to Linux or Mac you would find 0% market share and 0% growth... which isn't that fantastic.
It occurred to me that since Internet Explorer 9 is limited to Windows 7 and Windows Vista (and newer Windows servers maybe, but who cares), its market share can only grow so far.
About 55% of the internet users are using Windows XP, not Windows Vista or Windows 7 (or Windows Phone 7, hehe). You have basically doomed Internet Explorer 9 for the next few years.
I imagine that Windows versions that are supported by Internet Explorer 9 will only rule the market share when Internet Explorer 10 gets out (unless Internet Explorer 9 is going to stick around for 10+ years like Internet Explorer 6, which will be a huge disappointment for the internet).
I assume there are no intentions of porting it to Windows XP, huh?
Silly, silly move. A browser will not make people upgrade to a new operating system, if that is where you were heading with this approach.
In addition to my general comment, @TheWebAtom -
Unfortunately, since the market share of Linux and Macintosh is pretty low (below 10%, or even below 5%, if I remember correctly), the browser market share on Windows is a good enough measurement. And I am not a Microsoft\Windows enthusiast or anything. I use Chrome.
@phistuck
win xp is a great product but it also is a ten year old OS.
i think microsoft had to make a descision. you can call the fact that IE9 doesn't run on XP a step towards the future, if you want to.
XP is history - and the fact that many people still use it won't break or slow technical evolution.
i think making IE9 for vista/W7 only is a stron descision, not a silly one.
@tiMtwOO -
My understanding is that the big advantage of 9 comes from the hardware acceleration, which is apparently problematic with Windows XP. So they can still let Windows XP users upgrade and use software rendering instead (like other browsers do). That means that you could still advance with the web with a more standard compliant HTML5, CSS 3 and JavaScript, but just get it slower on Windows XP, which is a good compromise as opposed to having nothing at all.
Windows costs. Costs a lot. People will not change their operating system so easily, surely not to Windows Vista, Windows 7 is apparently a more viable option, but I cannot guarantee that it is as good as Windows XP. From my narrow experience, Windows 7 is annoying, counter intuitive and slow, as opposed to Windows XP, so I have no real reason to upgrade.
@phistuck Calling Windows 7 slow and counter intuitive compared to XP is a joke statement. XP is the joke hear, it had its time to be good but it is old now, and full of security holes. XP is not faster, either. You have a poorly accelerated UI, Vista and 7 dominate XP in this area. XP also doesn't index files as well as Vista or 7, but whatever.
Does IE9 have an integrated spell check like Chrome and Firefox? I really want to use it but am terrible at spelling. Without spell check I am going to stick to something else. Is there spell check in IE9 and if so why isn't it a default setting like Chrome and Firefox?
@James Manes -
Well, first, each to its own, of course. Counter intuitive for me can be super intuitive for you, or for a new user.
I am also using the Classic Windows theme and not the Luna one (same with the slow Vista), because it is really (ugly) slow and uncomfortable.
Second, it depends on your system, too. If you have a powerful system, Windows 7 may be good for you. If you have a 2 or 3 year old computer, it might not fit so well.
Third, every operating system has security holes. What, was (is) Windows 7 not vulnerable to anything? no security fixes were issued for it? be realistic.
@MBATech -
There is no built in spell checker within Internet Explorer 9.
They stated in an earlier blog post that they are considering it for the next version.
where we can post IE9 bugs? 12 million people play WoW and still all those can't access the Battle.net. Cause when u enter there your login it is impossible with IE9 RC to click on anything. nothing works there.
IE9 seems to have an problem with password/log-ins in general. i know about 2 or 3 other services (beside battle.net) that won't work with IE9 neither
@Panagiotis
connect.microsoft.com/ie
@phistuck Every OS has security holes, but XP has way more than vista or 7. Way, way more. It is the new Windows 98.
Also IE team. If IE impliments all these standards and what not now, why does it still have so many issues? I don't understand your direction at all. I get render problems on many sites I visit, and there is still no spell check.
No spell check was a horrible mistake by Microsoft. Not really that impressed by ie9s use hardware accelleration, firefox 4 will be out soon, where ie will be left behind again. Firefox 3.5 is still miles ahead of ie 9....
First, Net applications is:
1 - Only one of many web browser usage share stats service.
2- By far, THEEE only one measuring Internet Explorer as strong as it does (others see it declining strong)
Second, why oh why does internet explorer HAVE TO DEPEND on a windows version ??? IT IS the only browser with that limitation and it is the only reason why so many old versions of internet explorer are still in use today. Which is in turn the main reason why web developers are limited to old technologies (well, because internet explorer never followed the standards too. Leave the numerous bugs alone). Because of that, it will take time before developers can use new features of CSS3 and HTML5 (even IE9 as its limitations... talk about text-shadow, transitions and gradients for instance).
I truly don't share your optimism, sorry!
Please get it right this time instead of pushing a release based on "some date".
At the very least, get some parity with all the other browsers when it comes to supporting CSS (that's probably not too much to ask). I think we're all tired of creating "IE conditionals" and/or workarounds and/or hacks.
There isn't any "rush" is there? I mean as far as developers are concerned, unless "hacks" are resolved, its pretty much another "ho hum" release - unless someone out there thinks that there are still those who create sites *only* for IE (really?)....
As far as users are concerned, sure, they may get more experiences - but unless its some "demo site" run by Microsoft, it'll still be limited by, yup, developer support (at large) - otherwise, yet again, even users will find sites "that don't work" ....in IE anyway, but just works and looks right in any other browser.
Get it right, not just "out there"...please.
There are enough browsers out there in 2011.
As for the OS requirements - the only comment so far that makes sense is one by @Nosfy:
"why oh why does internet explorer HAVE TO DEPEND on a windows version ??? IT IS the only browser with that limitation and it is the only reason why so many old versions of internet explorer are still in use today."
Kudos to that statement. But as above, just get it right. All the "old" versions have been dealt with via hacks and workarounds, or plugins (i.e. Chrome) so hopefully none of these ever need to be for IE9 - and the only way that will happen is yep, you get it right this time.
Are we talking about IE9 RELEASE CANDIDATE (short: IE9 RC) or IE9 RELEASE (short: IE9) I think a release candidate should not even be counted into market share.
I hope IE9 would prevent the IE decline in browser's marketshare, rather it would get better later in the following months. Overall, the swiftness due to service-based JS engine and its optimization is plausible. There is still room to modify the JS and DOM engine to compete with the other currently available, next generation browsers. I would really love to see MSIE to get victorious over other flavors in their benchmarks, i.e. Mozilla’s Kraken JavaScript Benchmark and Google’s V8 Benchmark. IE team, please overcome the deficiencies and make the product's JS engine superfast !!
Congratulations. I'd love to be amongst those testing out IE, but I'm just not interested in using a browser without spell check. I know there's an addon for the purpose, but it requires me to use the old-style interface of clicking the check button and going through each incorrect word one-by-one. All other modern browsers automatically underline misspelled words and let me quickly right-click to fix them. I'm just not willing to take this leap backwards. Considering you like to present IE9 as being the browser ready for the future and the interactive web, I would have thought you'd have noticed that the web is increasingly based around human interaction. I wish you'd explain why IE9 still lacks a spell check feature rather than occasionally posting 'we value your feedback' messages and ignoring the valid complaints of many would-be users.
last minute U.I comment: Please change the arrows in IE to match the "metro" arrows in zune/windows phone. the microsoft website as well as the microsoft online store are now previewing/using metro elements and iconography. IE should be using the same iconography. While arrows are nearly identical they actually are not. these tiny inconsistancies are important! the metro arrows are "flat" at the top and bottom. IE team look at page 4 and 5 of the following article:
arstechnica.com/.../4
would like to add! IE8 as well is great browser....
it just need some performance tweaking.
I think MS needs to seriously consider launching IE for MAC. A lot of designers and developers use IE to test their web page design and it would make their workflow much pleasant. It is the developers and designers who mostly bad mouth IE.
The bottom line. Windows it too bloated and painfully slow especially taking into consideration the advances in hardware (i7 processors) and resources (ram, bus speeds etc) for very small or even negative value added, as with Vista. Windows 7 hasnt drastically improved the cost/perfomance/hardware and utility tradeoff. Lets face it - ive seen some Commodore Amigas in the 80s doing serious stuff which would make Win7 grown today-so much for Moore. Doing anything in MS Office post-2003 is equally going down that utility curve, with a lot of artsy fartsy graphics to help you get there. Yes, we all know the Office suite is a powerful package, that is if you hold one of those MS certified whatever things and have diploma in IT to install updates patches etc. Even the PMPs say that Project is mainly just good at calculating schedules and Gantt charts, anything more and you'll have to find a better package. For 90% of users unless you're into heavy gaming or rendering video, you really need nothing higher than Win xp 3, P4 2.5 GHz , 2gb RAM. So whats this about upgrading now for IE9...? Thumbs up for XP.